oldroyd



July 12. 1921. R mom APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IIIIO'P'I'ID PIX-'8 FABRIGS I Filed lay 5, 1927 2 $h0et8-$hut 1 33:33:: I I III: A III;

' 1,6 2 My m 1927' F. H. OLDROYD 35 63 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING KNOTTED FILE FABRICS Filed May 5, 1927 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 Z&

[22 wanton Patented July 12, 1927. v I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HERBERT OLDROYD, F R'ADCLIFFE, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING KNOTTED PILE FABRICS.

Application filed May 5, 1927, Serial No.189,065, and in Great Britain October 1925.

This invention relates to apparatus for ings, in the construction shown therein, a producedknotted pile fabrics, such as carcylindrical hub 1 is adaptedto be rotatably pets and so forth, wherein the tufts are knotmounted on a stationary stud or spindle. ted to the foundation during the weaving The cylindrical hub 1 has four pairs of 5 of the foundation. flat tubular arms 2 attached to the hub 1 In the said apparatus, means is provided by members 3 engaging the arms 2 and slots for measuring off. each tuft piece from a 4 in the hub 1. The distance between each continuous length of yarn or the like prepair of arms 2 is equal and the whole thereparatory' to its separation from the said fore has an appearance somewhat similar to 10 length and insertion in the fabric. a maltese cross when regarded from the My invention relates particularly to the front. The arms 2 of each pair are also said means and has for its main object to spaced apart to leave a gap 5 between them enable yarns or the like of all degrees of for the entrance of a severing knife or other thickness or thinness, of all materials and of severing device. All the ends of the arms 15 all varying properties to be efiiciently dealt 2 are free and a radial gap or slot 6 is prowith by the said means. vided in each end each slot 6 having its 79 According to my invention the said means mouth situated in the end surface of its arm comprises a movable member provided with The Slots 6 are all in the same circular pairs of holding devices spaced distances line.

20 apart substantially equal to the required A spring 7 of substantially inverted U length of the tuft piece, each device of each shape is fixed in the interior of each arm 2 pair being spaced a distance from the other one limb of the spring 7 being situated to-- deviceof the pairywhereby on movement of wards the front of the arm and being the said member the continuous length of v gripped thereby and the other limb lying yarn passes successively into each holding partly in the slot 6 and partly in the arm 2 device and is gripped thereby both before at a place beneath the closed end of the slot and after separation of the yarn between the 6. That part of the spring 7 which connects holding devices of each pair. the said limbs together preferably lies he- The said means is preferably in the form yond the extremity of the arm and is sub- P of a rotatable hub provided with a plurality stantially parallel with the axis of the hub of pairs ofarms the said pairs being spaced 1. The last named limb isfree to yield and the required distance from one another at is Opposed to the rearmost side of the slot 6 or near their extremities and the arms of which owing to the flat tubular formation of each pair being also spaced apart a distance the arm 2 consists of two narrow surfaces sufficient to permit the passage of a yarn separated bya space.

severing implement between them, and all The mouth of each slot 6 is flared or of the said arms being provided with yieldrounded off. For convenience of construcing grippers at or near their extremities to tion the front parts of the arms 2 may progrip the yarn at places on both side of the ject axially beyond the hub in a forward points of severance. direction. .The corner of each spring 7 Each gripper preferably comprises a. maybe roundedwhere the parallel part joins spring or yielding member acting in opposithe free limb which extends radially into tion to one or more surfaces to grip the yarn and p st the closed end of the slot. between it and the said surface or wedge In operation the continuous length 8 of 45 the yarn between it'and the said surfaces. yarn or the like passes under tension In the accompanying draWingsthrough any suitable guide arranged in the 1 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a measurvertical plane which contains the radial cening-ofi' means. I a tre lines-of all the-slots 6, and the end of Figure 2 is a side view thereof. I the yarn or the like is pressed between the 0 Figure 3 is a front. elevation of a detail free limb of one of the springs 7 and the and illustrates amodification. rearmost side ofthe corresponding slot 6.

Figure 4 is a. plan view and v The said end. is thereby pressed or wedged Fi urefi is a side view of Figure by the spring 7 against the two surfaces Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of thedraw forming the said side and between the said surfaces, being thereby held firmly. Rotation of the whole in a direction in which the said slot 6 first moves away from the guide j The tension of the yarn causes it to be force to the bottom ofthe slot 6 and the action the spring 7' causes it to be automatically gripped in a similar manner to the said end.

A par of the yarn now lies in a stretched; straight line between two of the arms 2. Further rotation causes the yarn to engage and be firmly heldin the slot 6 of each succeeding armQ, The yarnso held is now free to severed by any suitable implement acting on the yarn between the arms 2, of each successivepair and when severance of the yarn at two. adjacent pairs of arms 2 has taken place, a' piece of yarn of the desired length for a tuft" piece has been obtained but still remains firmly held by one arm 2 of each of two adjacent pairs in a straight, stretched. state reagdy to be withdrawn from theslot-s 5, for insertion in the foundation being woven. The springs 7 whilst acting strongly to prevent the ends of the piece from moving in the direction of the length of the piece cause no undue resistance to a lateral withdrawal of the piece. As the severed pieces are removed the slots ,6; which held them become free and further rotatipn of the device again brings these slots'6 into ction on the continuous" length of yarn orv the like to'be' engaged thereby and measure oil further lengths ready for severance. The said slots 6 therefore repeatedly come into operation in a cycle.

The arn s 2. thus repeatedly measure oil pieces from the continuous length of yarn and hold them firmly in a stretcheth straight condition both before and after severance until their ends are drawn outwardly or radially out of the slots 6, the number of pieces measured. being determined only by the length of; the siiipply of-yarn or the. like.

it will be appreciated that by varying the distance between the radial centre lines of the pairs of arms 2. any desired length of pieces can be obtained. Furthermore ow ing to the retention of a firm and. pcsiti' held-on both ends ofjthe yai h equalefliciencv on any W clndi yarm whet-h 4 not, oirel ywjn or yarn liable to.ci1rl.-, and onhoth thick; niec'iium'jand thin yarns. or even on thin wire. 'llhisfeature, together with .he perfect, accessibility to the piece b.e' e n'its'ends, facilitates the subsequent op; n of. knotting the pieces dnjthefwarpf the device 'ispieferably moved. or rotated. in, an. ermittent I'nannn;

In the modification illustrated in Figures 3 to 5 each of the slots l of the boss 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has inserted in it a plate-like arm 9 having pivotally rounded at their opposed corners to facilitate the entry of the yarn between them. Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a pair of the plate-like arms 9 and it will be observed that the pivot pin 10 extends from arm to arm of the pair and serves as a pivot for both double j aws ll of the pair. It will be understood that the gripping devices shown in Figures 3 to 5 when mounted on a hubin sufficient numbers operate in a similar manner to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

I claim 1. In apparatus for producing knotted pile fabricsa measuring. means comprising a movable member provided'withjaairs of holding devices spaced distances apart substantially equal to the required length of the tuft piece, each device of each pair being spaced a distance from. the other. device of the pa r, so arranged that on movement of the said. member a continuous length of yarn passes successively into each holding.

device and is gripped thereby bothbefore and after separation of the yarn between the holding devices 'of' each pain 2. A. measuring means according. to claim 1 and constructed: in the form ofa rotatable member provided with a plurality of. pairs of arms, the said pairs being spaced from one another substantially at their extremities a distance corresponding to the required length of the tuft piece'and the arms of; each pairbeing also spaced apart a distance suflicent to permit-the passage 013a yarn severing implement between them and. all of. the said; arms being provided with yielding grippers'at or near their extremities to grip. the yarn at places on bothsides ofthepoints of severance.

3. A measuring mea s accordingto claim 1 and constructed in the. formf sea; rotatable member provided. wit a plurality. of pairs h of arms, thesaid pairs beingispacedifromone another substantially at. their extremities a. distance corr oondingto the. requirecblength of. the tuft piecean.d*'the.arins. of each pair being also spaced. apart a distance. sufficient to permit the passage of ay'arn severingiinp'lement between them. and" allof; thesaid arms being provided. with yielding grippers at or near their extremitiesto gripl'the j in at places on b oth. sides ofr the" point sibf severance, each gripper" comprising'ai yielding member and a surface against which said yielding member acts to grip the yarn there between. i

4. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, comprising plate like arms having oscillatable jaws mounted thereon and acted on in the closing direction by spring means.

5. In apparatus for producing knotted pile fabrics a measuring-off device comprising a movable member having mounted on it pairs of arms of which pairs each arm is parallel to the same radial plane, the said arms being held in slots in the movable member and being provided with means to grip yarn jfirmly against displacement in the longitudinal direction of the yarn Whilst permitting lateral movement thereof without detrimental resistance thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at Manchester in the county of Lancaster, England, this 22nd day of April, 1927.

FRANCIS HERBERT OLDROYD. 

